Drug patterned reinforcement material for circular anastomosis

ABSTRACT

A surgical stapling apparatus includes a staple cartridge assembly, an anvil assembly operatively associated with the staple cartridge assembly, and a surgical buttress releasably coupled to the staple cartridge assembly or the anvil assembly. The staple cartridge assembly includes a tissue facing surface having staple retaining slots defined therein, each staple retaining slot housing a staple therein, and a circular knife disposed radially inwardly of the tissue facing surface. The anvil assembly includes an anvil member including a tissue facing surface and an anvil shaft extending from the anvil member. The surgical buttress has a circular configuration defining a central aperture therethrough. The surgical buttress includes an inner concentric portion having a therapeutic coating disposed thereon and an outer concentric portion free of the therapeutic coating.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to surgical buttresses that are releasably attached to surgical stapling apparatus and more particularly, to surgical buttresses for local drug delivery.

Description of Related Art

Surgical stapling apparatus are employed by surgeons to sequentially or simultaneously apply one or more rows of fasteners, e.g., staples or two-part fasteners, to body tissue for the purpose of joining segments of body tissue together and/or creating anastomoses.

Circular surgical stapling apparatus generally include a staple cartridge assembly including circular rows of staples, an anvil assembly operatively associated with the staple cartridge assembly, and a circular blade disposed internal to the circular rows of staples. In use, during an end-to-end circular anastomosis procedure, two ends of hollow tissue sections, e.g., bowels, intestines, or other tubular organs, are clamped between the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies and are joined by driving the circular rows of staples through the clamped hollow tissue sections. During firing of the staples, the circular blade is advanced to cut portions of the tissue sections extending inside the staple lines, thereby establishing a passage through the two stapled tissue sections.

Surgical supports, e.g., meshes or buttress materials, may be used in combination with surgical stapling apparatus to bridge, repair, and/or reinforce tissue defects within a patient. The surgical support reinforces the staple line as well as covers the juncture of the tissue sections to reduce incidents of, for example, tearing, leakage, bleeding, and/or strictures prior to healing.

Circular anastomosis may be utilized during tumor removal. For example, surgical resection of localized endoluminal tumors is part of the standard of care for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers. Once an endoluminal tumor is excised, gastrointestinal conduits are often reconnected by forming a stapled circular anastomosis. Even with surgery, however, each of these cancers is still associated with a high rate of post-surgical local recurrence. These cancers can be further treated with adjuvant systemic chemotherapy or radiotherapy, but each of these treatments can carry toxic side effects and/or be ineffective at reducing local recurrence.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to utilize a drug coated surgical support at the site of a circular anastomosis to locally deliver drugs such as chemotherapeutics, immunotherapies, or targeted therapies to reduce the risk of recurrence near the anastomosis.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to surgical buttresses including one or more drugs patterned on select locations of the surgical buttress for localized drug delivery and treatment while protecting the underlying tissue during anastomotic healing and allowing for normal tissue integration into a majority of the surgical buttress.

A surgical stapling apparatus, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, includes a staple cartridge assembly, an anvil assembly operatively associated with the staple cartridge assembly, and a surgical buttress releasably coupled to the staple cartridge assembly or the anvil assembly. The staple cartridge assembly includes a tissue facing surface having staple retaining slots defined therein, each staple retaining slot housing a staple therein, and a circular knife disposed radially inwardly of the tissue facing surface. The anvil assembly includes an anvil member including a tissue facing surface and an anvil shaft extending from the anvil member. The surgical buttress has a circular configuration defining a central aperture therethrough. The surgical buttress includes an inner concentric portion having a therapeutic coating disposed thereon and an outer concentric portion free of the therapeutic coating.

The inner concentric portion of the surgical buttress may include a first concentric region extending radially inwardly of an inner staple line of the surgical buttress, and a second concentric region extending radially outwardly of the inner staple line to a middle staple line of the surgical buttress.

In embodiments, the therapeutic coating is disposed only within the first concentric region of the surgical buttress. In some embodiments, the first concentric region is defined between the inner staple line and a knife cut line of the surgical buttress and, in some other embodiments, the first concentric region is defined between the inner staple line and an inner edge of the surgical buttress. In certain embodiments, the inner edge of the surgical buttress is disposed radially inwardly of the circular knife of the staple cartridge assembly. In embodiments, the therapeutic coating is disposed partially within the second concentric region of the surgical buttress.

The therapeutic coating may include a chemotherapy drug or an immunotherapy drug. The therapeutic coating may be disposed on first and/or second sides of the surgical buttress.

In some embodiments, the surgical buttress is disposed on the tissue facing surface of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly and, in some embodiments, the surgical buttress is disposed on the anvil shaft of the anvil assembly in spaced relation relative to the tissue facing surfaces of the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies.

A staple cartridge assembly, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, includes a staple cartridge and a surgical buttress. The staple cartridge includes a tissue facing surface having staple retaining slots defined therein, each staple retaining slot housing a staple therein, and a circular knife disposed radially inwardly of the tissue facing surface. The surgical buttress is releasably disposed on the tissue facing surface of the staple cartridge. The surgical buttress has a circular configuration defining a central aperture therethrough. The surgical buttress includes an inner concentric portion having a therapeutic coating disposed thereon and an outer concentric portion free of the therapeutic coating.

The inner concentric portion of the surgical buttress may include a first concentric region extending radially inwardly of an inner staple line of the surgical buttress, and a second concentric region extending radially outwardly of the inner staple line to a middle staple line of the surgical buttress.

In embodiments, the therapeutic coating is disposed only within the first concentric region of the surgical buttress. In some embodiments, the first concentric region is defined between the inner staple line and a knife cut line of the surgical buttress and, in some other embodiments, the first concentric region is defined between the inner staple line and an inner edge of the surgical buttress. In certain embodiments, the inner edge of the surgical buttress is disposed radially inwardly of the circular knife of the staple cartridge. In embodiments, the therapeutic coating is disposed partially within the second concentric region of the surgical buttress. In yet other embodiments, the drug can be applied in any number of arrangements or patterns on the buttress to produce the desired effect of drug delivery and tissue integration into portions of the drug loaded buttress.

The therapeutic coating may include a chemotherapy drug or an immunotherapy drug. The therapeutic coating may be disposed on first and/or second sides of the surgical buttress.

Other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from the description, drawings, and the claim.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of the present disclosure are described herein below with reference to the drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a side, perspective view of a surgical stapling apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is a bottom, perspective view of an anvil assembly of the surgical stapling apparatus of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the surgical stapling apparatus shown in FIG. 1A, including surgical buttresses releasably attached thereto in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a top, plan view of a surgical buttress of FIG. 2, in an initial configuration prior to actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus;

FIG. 3B is a top, plan view of the surgical buttress of FIG. 3A, in a final configuration after actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus;

FIG. 4A is a top, plan view of a surgical buttress in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4B is a top, plan view of a surgical buttress in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a top, plan view of a surgical buttress in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the surgical stapling apparatus shown in FIG. 1A including a surgical buttress releasably attached thereto in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a top, plan view of the surgical buttress of FIG. 6, in an initial configuration prior to actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed herein below in terms of surgical buttresses for use with a surgical stapling apparatus. The surgical buttresses described herein may be used in sealing a wound by approximating the edges of tissue between a staple cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly of the surgical stapling apparatus which includes at least one surgical buttress. The surgical buttress is releasably attached to the surgical stapling apparatus such that staples fired from the surgical stapling apparatus attach the surgical buttress to tissue.

While the surgical buttresses are discussed in conjunction with a surgical stapling apparatus, it is envisioned that other surgical apparatus and/or fixation devices, such as tacks, sutures, clips, adhesives, and the like, may be utilized to affix surgical buttresses of the present disclosure to tissue. It should also be appreciated that while the principles of the present disclosure are described with respect to surgical buttresses, the buttressing materials of the present disclosure are suitable for use in a variety of medical devices to mechanically support and/or reinforce tissue such as, for example, hernia meshes, patches, stents, pledgets, and/or scaffolds.

Embodiments of the presently disclosed surgical buttresses will now be described in detail with reference to the drawing figures wherein like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements. Throughout this description, the term “proximal” refers to a portion of a structure, or component thereof, that is closer to a user, and the term “distal” refers to a portion of the structure, or component thereof, that is farther from the user.

Referring now to FIG. 1A, a surgical stapling apparatus or circular stapler 10 for use in stapling tissue and applying a surgical buttress to tissue is shown. The surgical stapling apparatus 10 includes a handle assembly 20, an elongated tubular body 30 extending distally from the handle assembly 20, an anvil assembly 40 releasably coupled to a distal end portion 32 of the elongated tubular body 30, and a staple cartridge assembly 50 disposed at the distal end portion 32 of the elongated tubular body 30.

The handle assembly 20 includes at least one movable handle member 22 for actuating the firing of staples 54 (FIG. 2) from the staple cartridge assembly 50 and the cutting of tissue secured between the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50. The handle assembly 20 further includes an advancing member 24 for moving the anvil assembly 40 between an open or spaced apart position and a closed or approximated position relative to the staple cartridge assembly 50.

The elongated tubular body 30 may be flexible or rigid, and/or straight or curved along a portion or the entirety thereof. It should be understood that the elongated tubular body 30 may be otherwise configured (e.g., shaped and/or dimensioned) depending on, for example, the surgical application or procedure of use as is within the purview of those skilled in the art. The staple cartridge assembly 50 may be fixedly connected to the distal end portion 32 of the elongated tubular body 30 or may be configured to concentrically fit within, or be otherwise connected to, the distal end portion 32 of the elongated tubular body 30 such that the staple cartridge assembly 50 is removable and replaceable.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the anvil assembly 40 includes an anvil member 42 having a tissue facing surface 44 defined by an outer perimeter 44 a and an inner perimeter 44 b. Staple forming recesses 43 (e.g., a circular array or circular rows of staple forming recesses) are defined in the tissue facing surface 44 of the anvil member 42. The staple forming recesses 43 mirror staple retaining slots 51 of the staple cartridge assembly 50 (e.g., corresponding in position, size, and/or shape). The anvil assembly 40 further includes an anvil shaft 46 extending distally from the anvil member 42. The anvil shaft 46 is releasably connectable to the elongated tubular body 30 of the surgical stapling apparatus 10.

The anvil shaft 46 of the anvil assembly 40 may be connected to a rod 34 extending through the elongated tubular body 30. The rod 34 can be operably coupled to the advancing member 24 of the handle assembly 20 such that, when the anvil shaft 46 is attached to the rod 34, rotation of the advancing member 24 results in longitudinal movement of the rod 34 which, in turn, results in longitudinal movement of the anvil assembly 40 relative to the elongated tubular body 30. For example, when the advancing member 24 is rotated in a first direction, the anvil assembly 40 is moved away from the elongated tubular body 30, allowing tissue to be placed between the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50 and, when the advancing member 24 is rotated in a second direction, the anvil assembly 40 is moved toward the elongated tubular body 30, allowing the tissue to be clamped between the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50. It should be understood that other mechanisms for moving the anvil assembly 40 with respect to the elongated tubular body 30 are contemplated and within the purview of those skilled in the art.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 2, the staple cartridge assembly 50 includes a tissue facing surface 52 defined by an outer perimeter 52 a and an inner perimeter 52 b. Staple retaining or receiving slots 51 (e.g., a circular array or circular rows of staple retaining slots) are defined in the tissue facing surface 52 of the staple cartridge assembly 50, with a staple 54 disposed in each of the staple retaining slots 51. While the staple cartridge assembly 50 is shown including three circular rows of staple retaining slots 51, it should be understood that the staple cartridge assembly 50 may include one or more rows, or partial rows, of staple retaining slots 51 in a variety of arrangements in the tissue facing surface 52 of the staple cartridge assembly 50 (e.g., the rows and/or partial rows may be circular, oval, polygonal, etc.). It should further be understood that the shape of the staple retaining slots 51 may vary (e.g., the staple retaining slots may have a curved or angled shape) to accommodate the positioning of the staples 54 relative to each other, and/or the size of the staple retaining slots 51 may vary (e.g., one or more rows of staple retaining slots may be different in size from other row(s) of staple retaining slots) to accommodate different shaped and/or sized staples 54.

A staple pusher 56 is disposed in the staple cartridge assembly 50 and has a plurality of fingers or pushers 57 that are aligned with the staple retaining slots 51. The staple pusher 56 is movable in a distal direction to drive the staples 54 out of the staple cartridge assembly 50. A knife 58, substantially in the form of an open cup having a cylindrical shape with a rim thereof defining a knife blade 59, is disposed radially inwardly of the pushers 57. The knife 58 is mounted to a surface of the staple pusher 56 so that, in use, as the staple pusher 56 is advanced distally, the knife 58 is also advanced distally (e.g., axially outward) such that after the staples 54 are driven through tissue captured between the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50, the portions of the tissue disposed radially inwardly of the staples 54 are cut by the knife blade 59.

The movable handle members 22 of the handle assembly 20 can be operably coupled to the staple pusher 56 by, for example, a tubular member or pair of bands (not shown) that are attached to the staple pusher 56 by, for example, linkages or the like. In this way, when the movable handle members 22 are actuated, the tubular member or bands are advanced, advancing the staple pusher 56, as described above. It should be understood that other mechanisms for firing the surgical stapling apparatus 10 are contemplated and within the purview of those skilled in the art.

For a detailed description of the structure and function of exemplary surgical stapling apparatus, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,473,077; 4,576,167; 5,005,749; 5,119,983; 5,588,579; 5,915,616; and 6,053,390, the entire content of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. It should be understood that a variety of circular surgical stapling apparatus may be utilized with the surgical buttresses of the present disclosure. For example, circular staplers, such as, for example, EEA™ and CEEA™ staplers, available through Medtronic (North Haven, Conn.) may be utilized with the surgical buttresses of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 2, surgical buttresses 60 are releasably attached to the tissue facing surfaces 44, 52 of the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50, respectively. The surgical buttresses 60 may be releasably secured to the tissue facing surfaces 44, 52 of the anvil and/or staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50 via any suitable attachment feature within the purview of those skilled in the art, such as, chemical attachment features (e.g., adhesives), mechanical attachment features (e.g., mounting structures, such as tabs, pins, or straps), and/or attachment methods (e.g., welding). For a detailed description of exemplary attachment features suitable for use with a surgical buttress of the present disclosure, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,584,920; 8,967,448; and 9,237,892, the entire content of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. In embodiments, an adhesive (not explicitly shown) is disposed between the surgical buttresses 60 and the respective tissue facing surface 44, 52 of the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50.

The surgical stapling apparatus 10 and detachable anvil assembly 40 are used in an anastomosis procedure to effect joining of tissue sections 1, 2 (e.g., intestinal or other tubular organ sections). The anastomosis procedure is typically performed using minimally invasive surgical techniques including laparoscopic means and instrumentation. At the point in the procedure shown in FIG. 2, such as after removal of a diseased tissue section, the anvil assembly 40 has been applied to the operative site (e.g., through a surgical incision or a body orifice) and positioned within tissue section 1, the elongated tubular body 30 of the surgical stapling apparatus 10 has been inserted (e.g., through a surgical incision or a body orifice) within tissue section 2, and the anvil shaft 46 of the anvil assembly 40 has been connected to the elongated tubular body 30. The tissue sections 1, 2 are also shown temporarily secured about their respective components by conventional means such as purse string sutures “P”.

Thereafter, the anvil assembly 40 is approximated towards the elongated tubular body 30 (e.g., via advancing member 24 (FIG. 1) of the handle assembly 20) to approximate the tissue sections 1, 2. The surgical stapling apparatus 10 is then actuated (e.g., via movable handle members 22 (FIG. 1) of the handle assembly 20), firing the staples 54 from the staple cartridge assembly 50 and towards the anvil member 42 of the anvil assembly 40 to effect stapling of the tissue sections 1, 2 to one another, as well as the surgical buttresses 60 to the tissue sections 1, 2. The knife blade 59 cuts the now stapled tissue sections 1, 2, as well as any portion of the surgical buttresses 60 extending radially inwardly of the knife 58, to complete the anastomosis. Upon movement of the anvil assembly 40 away from staple cartridge assembly 50 (e.g., via advancing member 24), the surgical buttresses 60, which are now stapled to the tissue sections 1, 2, are pulled away from the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50.

The surgical buttresses of the present disclosure are fabricated from biocompatible materials which are bioabsorbable or non-absorbable, natural or synthetic materials. It should be understood that any combination of natural, synthetic, bioabsorbable, and/or non-bioabsorbable materials may be used to form a surgical buttress. The surgical buttresses of the present disclosure may be biodegradable (e.g., formed from bioabsorbable and bioresorable materials) such that the surgical buttresses decompose or are broken down (physically or chemically) under physiological conditions in the body, and the degradation products are excretable or absorbable by the body.

The surgical buttresses may be porous, non-porous, or combinations thereof. Suitable porous structures include, for example, fibrous structures (e.g., knitted structures, woven structures, and non-woven structures) and/or foams (e.g., open or closed cell foams). Suitable non-porous structures include, for example, films. The surgical buttresses may be a single porous or non-porous layer, or include a plurality of layers including any combination of porous and/or non-porous layers.

Porous layer(s) in a surgical buttress may enhance the ability of the surgical buttress to absorb fluid, reduce bleeding, and seal a wound. Also, the porous layer(s) may allow for tissue ingrowth to fix the surgical buttress in place. Non-porous layer(s) in a surgical buttress may enhance the ability of the surgical buttress to resist tears and perforations during the manufacturing, shipping, handling, and stapling processes. Also, non-porous layer(s) may retard or prevent tissue ingrowth from surrounding tissues thereby acting as an adhesion barrier and preventing the formation of unwanted scar tissue. The porosity of the layer(s) of the surgical buttress may allow for and/or determine the rate of infiltration of biological fluids and/or cellular components into the surgical buttress which, in turn, may accelerate or decelerate the release kinetics of therapeutic agent(s) from the surgical buttress and thus, increase or decrease the release rate of the therapeutic agent(s) from the surgical buttress into the surrounding tissue and fluids.

The surgical buttresses of the present disclosure include a therapeutic coating disposed thereon. The therapeutic coating provides treatment in the form of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or combinations thereof by local delivery of one or more therapeutic agents or anti-cancer drugs at the site of tumor resection. The therapeutic coating may include one or more therapeutic agents therein having one or more release profiles. The surgical buttresses of the present disclosure may release therapeutic agent(s) therefrom over a period of time from about 12 hours to about 6 weeks, in embodiments, from about 24 hours to about 4 weeks and, in some embodiments, from about 48 hours to about 2 weeks.

The therapeutic agent(s) of the therapeutic coating may include, but are not limited to, drugs (e.g., small molecule drugs), amino acids, peptides, polypeptides, proteins, polysaccharides, muteins, immunoglobulins, antibodies, cytokines (e.g., lymphokines, monokines, chemokines), blood clotting factors, hemopoietic factors, interleukins (1 through 18), interferons (β-IFN, α-IFN and γ-IFN), erythropoietin, nucleases, tumor necrosis factor, colony stimulating factors (e.g., GCSF, GM-CSF, MCSF), insulin, anti-tumor agents, tumor suppressors, blood proteins, fibrin, thrombin, fibrinogen, synthetic thrombin, synthetic fibrin, synthetic fibrinogen, gonadotropins (e.g., FSH, LH, CG, etc.), hormones and hormone analogs (e.g., growth hormone, luteinizing hormone releasing factor), vaccines (e.g., tumoral, bacterial, and viral antigens), somatostatin, antigens, blood coagulation factors, growth factors (e.g., nerve growth factor, insulin-like growth factor), bone morphogenic proteins, TGF-B, protein inhibitors, protein antagonists, protein agonists, nucleic acids, such as antisense molecules, DNA, RNA, RNAi, oligonucleotides, polynucleotides, cells, viruses, and ribozymes.

In embodiments, the therapeutic coating includes an anti-tumor agent and/or tumor suppressor, referred to, in embodiments, as a “chemotherapeutic agent” and/or an “antineoplastic agent.” Suitable chemotherapeutic agents include, for example, paclitaxel and derivatives thereof, docetaxel and derivatives thereof, abraxane, tamoxifen, cyclophosphamide, actinomycin, bleomycin, dactinomycin, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, doxorubicin hydrochloride, epirubicin, mitomycin, methotrexate, fluorouracil, gemcitabine, gemcitabine hydrochloride, carboplatin, carmustine (BCNU), methyl-CCNU, cisplatin, etoposide, camptothecin and derivatives thereof, phenesterine, vinblastine, vincristine, goserelin, leuprolide, interferon alfa, retinoic acid (ATRA), nitrogen mustard alkylating agents, piposulfan, vinorelbine, irinotecan, irinotecan hydrochloride, vinblastine, pemetrexed, sorafenib tosylate, everolimus, erlotinib hydrochloride, sunitinib malate, capecitabine oxaliplatin, leucovorin calcium, bevacizumab, cetuximab, ramucirumab, trastuzumab, combinations thereof, and the like.

In some embodiments, the therapeutic coating includes paclitaxel and/or paclitaxel derivatives as the therapeutic agent. Paclitaxel may have various forms, referred to herein as “polymorphs,” including amorphous paclitaxel, crystalline paclitaxel, sometimes referred to as crystalline paclitaxel dihydrate, and/or anhydrous paclitaxel, or mixtures thereof. The polymorph form of paclitaxel in the therapeutic coating may be adjusted and selected to provide a tailored release of the therapeutic agent from the surgical buttress of the present disclosure as the crystallinity of the paclitaxel impacts its solubility in aqueous systems. Although the drug in any form is hydrophobic, as amorphous paclitaxel it is more soluble in aqueous environments, and crystalline paclitaxel is less soluble in aqueous environments, more than one polymorphic form of paclitaxel may be used, in embodiments, to provide surgical buttresses that have multiple release profiles of paclitaxel.

For example, surgical buttresses of the present disclosure having both amorphous paclitaxel and crystalline paclitaxel dihydrate thereon may release a bolus of therapeutic agent upon implantation (in the form of the amorphous paclitaxel), while also slowly releasing the therapeutic agent (in the form of the crystalline paclitaxel dihydrate). In embodiments, surgical buttresses of the present disclosure may release amorphous paclitaxel over a period of time from about 24 hours to about 168 hours, in some embodiments, from about 48 hours to about 96 hours, and release crystalline paclitaxel dihydrate over a period of time from about 1 week to about 6 weeks, in some embodiments, from about 2 weeks to about 4 weeks.

The therapeutic coating of the surgical buttresses of the present disclosure may include a carrier component formed from, for example, polymeric materials such as, but not limited to, degradable materials such as those prepared from monomers such as glycolide, lactide, trimethylene carbonate, p-dioxanone, epsilon-caprolactone, and combinations thereof.

The therapeutic coating, regardless of whether the therapeutic agent is applied with or without a carrier component, may include excipient(s) to enhance both the ability of the therapeutic agent to adhere to the surgical buttress as well as to modify the elution of the therapeutic agent therefrom. Suitable excipients include, but are not limited to, surfactants (e.g., cyclodextrins or sorbitan fatty acid esters), low molecule weight poly (ethylene glycol)s, salts (e.g., sodium chloride and/or other materials such as urea, oleic acid, citric acid, and ascorbic acid), stabilizers (e.g., butylated hydroxytoluene), polyhydric alcohols (e.g., D-sorbitol or mannitol), combinations thereof, and the like. In some embodiments, excipients which are hydrotropes may be included in the therapeutic coating of the present disclosure. These materials attract water into the therapeutic coating, which may enhance its degradation and resulting release of the therapeutic agent therefrom.

The therapeutic coating or components thereof (e.g., therapeutic agent(s), carrier component(s), and/or excipient(s)) may be in a solution for application to a surgical buttress of the present disclosure. Suitable solvents for forming such a solution include any pharmaceutically acceptable solvent including, but not limited to, saline, water, alcohol, acetone, dimethyl sulfoxide, ethyl acetate, N-methylpyrrolidone, combinations thereof, and the like. Methods for forming such solutions are within the purview of those skilled in the art and include, but are not limited to, mixing, blending, sonication, heating, combinations thereof, and the like. Methods for driving off the solvent after application to the surgical buttress to form the therapeutic coating and leave the therapeutic agent and any carrier component and/or excipient behind are within the purview of those skilled in the art and include, for example, solvent evaporation by heat, gas flow, time, reduced pressure, combinations thereof, and the like. By selecting different solvent systems, different dissolution rates of the therapeutic agent(s) may be achieved due to different therapeutic agent morphologies and degrees of crystallinity that occur based upon the solvent used in forming the solution including the therapeutic agent(s).

The therapeutic coating is disposed over specific areas of the surgical buttress such that the therapeutic agent(s) is deposited on the surgical buttress with high precision, and other areas of the surgical buttress are left uncoated by design to improve the performance of the surgical buttress, for instance, for better tissue healing around staple lines. The therapeutic coating or components thereof may be applied to the surgical buttress of the present disclosure by needle deposition processes, inkjet printing techniques, deposition methods including piezoelectric elements, combinations thereof, and the like.

The application process may include one or more passes of the therapeutic coating or components thereof onto the surgical buttress to ensure the surgical buttress has the desired amount of therapeutic agent for administering a dose of the therapeutic agent. In embodiments, multiple layers of the therapeutic coating is deposited on the surgical buttress resulting in an overall therapeutic coating that is uniform and robust, and adheres well to the buttress material. This is in contrast to other processes, such as dip coating and other similar coating methods, which lack both the robustness and adherence of the coatings/layers produced in accordance with the present disclosure. In some embodiments, different therapeutic agents are applied in different layers of the therapeutic coating. Different therapeutic benefits can thus be combined on one surgical buttress by using the multiple layers. In certain embodiments, different therapeutic agents can be deposited on different areas on the surface of the surgical buttress, e.g., one therapeutic agent can be applied in one region or area of the surgical buttress, and a different therapeutic agent can be applied to a different region or area of the surgical buttress.

With reference now to FIG. 3A, the surgical buttress 60 has a generally circular or annular configuration defining a central aperture 61 therethrough. The central aperture 61 is sized and dimensioned to allow free passage of the anvil shaft 46 of the anvil assembly 40 therethrough. In embodiments, the central aperture 61 has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the anvil shaft 46 of the anvil assembly 40. In some embodiments, the diameter of the central aperture 61 may be about the same as or smaller than the diameter of the anvil shaft 46.

The surgical buttress 60 includes a body 62 having an outer edge 62 a and an inner edge 62 b defining the central aperture 61 of the surgical buttress 60. The body 62 is sized and dimensioned to extend over (e.g., completely cover) the tissue facing surface 44, 52 of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50, with the outer edge 62 a of the body 62 aligned (e.g., radially) and coincident with the outer perimeter 44 a, 52 a of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50 and the inner edge 62 b disposed radially inwardly of the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50. In some embodiments, the outer edge 62 a of the body 62 of the surgical buttress 60 extends radially beyond the outer perimeter 44 a, 52 a of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50.

The body 62 of the surgical buttress 60 includes a plurality of concentric regions 64 defined therein. A first or inner concentric region 64 a is defined between a knife cut line 66 a and a first or inner staple line 66 b of the surgical buttress 60, a second concentric region 64 b is defined between the first staple line 66 b and a second or middle staple line 66 c of the surgical buttress 60, a third concentric region 64 c is defined between the second staple line 66 c and a third or outer staple line 66 d of the surgical buttress 60, and a fourth concentric region 64 d is defined between the third staple line 66 d and the outer edge 62 a of the surgical buttress 60. The knife cut line 66 a of the surgical buttress 60 is aligned with the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50, and the first, second, and third staple lines 66 b, 66 c, 66 d of the surgical buttress 60 are aligned with the staple forming recesses 43 or the staple forming slots 51 of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50.

A therapeutic coating 68 is disposed on the first concentric region 64 a of the surgical buttress 60 such that the therapeutic coating 68 extends between the knife cut line 66 a and the first staple line 66 b of the surgical buttress 60. The therapeutic coating 68 is applied so that an adequate amount of therapeutic agent(s) is deposited on and robustly attached to the first concentric region 64 a of the surgical buttress 60, while the remainder of the surgical buttress 60 (e.g., the second, third, and fourth concentric regions 64 b, 64 c, 64 d) remain free of the therapeutic coating 68 and thus, any therapeutic agent(s). The therapeutic coating 68 may be disposed on one or both sides of the surgical buttress 60 (e.g., one side contacting the tissue facing surface 44, 52 of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50 and an opposed side facing away from the tissue facing surface 44, 52).

While the therapeutic coating 68 is shown as a continuous layer covering the entirety of the first concentric region 64 a of the surgical buttress 60, it should to be appreciated that the configuration of the therapeutic coating 68 may vary. For example, the therapeutic coating 68 may be a discontinuous or patterned layer disposed on the surgical buttress 60. In some embodiments, the therapeutic coating 68 may be disposed within a portion of the first concentric region 64 a of the surgical buttress 60 in spaced relation from, and radially inwardly of, the first staple line 66 b.

Upon actuation of the surgical stapling device 10, the portion of the surgical buttress 60 disposed radially inwardly of the knife cut line 66 a of the surgical buttress 60 is cut away from the surgical buttress 60 by the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50. As shown in FIG. 3B, in a final configuration of the surgical buttress 60, the central aperture 61′ is enlarged and defined by an inner edge 62 b′ coincident with the knife cut line 66 a (FIG. 3A), and staples 54 extend through the surgical buttress 60 in circular staple rows or lines “S1”, “S2”, and “S3” coincident with the first, second, and third staple lines 66 b, 66 c, 66 d (FIG. 3A), respectively, of the surgical buttress 60. The therapeutic coating 68, disposed on the first concentric region 64 a of the surgical buttress 60, allows the therapeutic agent(s) of the therapeutic coating 68 to diffuse into the endoluminal space and into local tissue, while not impacting healing over a majority of the circular staple lines “S1”, “S2”, and “S3”. For example, in the case of tumor resection, the therapeutic coating 68 may eradicate any remaining tumor cells, stimulate a host response to destroy tumor cells, and/or block pathways required for tumor growth that may lead to a recurrent cancer. The precise location of the therapeutic coating 68 on the surgical buttress 60 isolates the therapeutic agent to areas where it is intended to be used (e.g., eliminates toxicity associated with systemic chemotherapy), delivers continuous and prolonged local therapy, and/or provides costs savings in terms of the amount of therapeutic agent used (e.g., reduces the drug payload compared to conventional systemic chemotherapy).

While the therapeutic coating 68 is shown disposed only within the first concentric region 64 a of the surgical buttress 60, other configurations are envisioned. The therapeutic coating 68 may be disposed on any part of an inner concentric portion 63 a of the body 62 of the surgical buttress 60, which includes portions of the surgical buttress 60 disposed radially inwardly of the second staple line 66 c. An outer concentric portion 63 b of the body 62, which includes portions of the surgical buttress 60 disposed radially outwardly of the second staple line 66 c, is to remain free of the therapeutic coating 68.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, a surgical buttress 60′ in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure is substantially the same as surgical buttress 60 except that the therapeutic coating 68′ extends radially inwardly of the knife cut line 66 a towards the inner edge 62 b of the surgical buttress 60′. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the first concentric region 64 a′ of the surgical buttress 60′ is defined between the inner edge 62 b of the surgical buttress and the first staple line 66 b, and the therapeutic coating 68′ is disposed over the entirety or portion(s) thereof.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 4B, a surgical buttress 60″ in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure is substantially the same as surgical buttress 60 except that the therapeutic coating 68″ extends radially outwardly of the first staple line 66 b towards the second staple line 66 c. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the therapeutic coating 68″ is disposed on the first concentric region 64 a of the surgical buttress 60″ and a portion of the second concentric region 64 b of the surgical buttress 60″ in spaced relation from, and radially inwardly of, the second staple line 66 c. In certain embodiments, the therapeutic coating 68″ is disposed on a portion or the entirety of the first and/or second concentric regions 64 a, 64 b of the surgical buttress 60″.

With reference now to FIG. 5, a surgical buttress 70 in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The surgical buttress 70 includes a body portion 72 including an outer edge 72 a and an inner edge 72 b, the inner edge 72 b defining a central aperture 71 of the surgical buttress 70. The surgical buttress 70 is sized and dimensioned such that the body portion 72 extend over the tissue facing surface 44, 52 of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50 to which the surgical buttress 70 is releasably secured. The outer edge 72 a of the body 72 is radially aligned or coincident with the outer perimeter 44 a, 52 a of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50 and the inner edge 72 a is radially aligned or coincident with the inner perimeter 44 b, 52 b of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50 such that the inner edge 72 b is disposed radially inwardly of the staple forming recesses 43 or the staple retaining slots 51 of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50, and radially outwardly of the knife 58.

A therapeutic coating 78 is disposed on a first concentric region 74 a of the surgical buttress 70 that is defined between the inner edge 72 b of the surgical buttress 70 and a first or inner staple line 76 a of the surgical buttress 70. It should be understood that the therapeutic coating 78 may extend partially or completely through the first concentric region 74 a and, in some embodiments, may extend completely or partially into a second concentric region 74 b of the surgical buttress 70 that is defined between the first staple line 76 a and a second or middle staple line 76 b of the surgical buttress 70.

Upon actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus 10, the surgical buttress 70 remains intact and is not cut by the knife 58 which, for example, may reduce the firing force required to cut through the stapled tissue and the surgical buttress 70. Accordingly, the size of the central aperture 71 does not change between initial and final configurations of the surgical buttress 70. The body 72 of the surgical buttress 70 is attached to tissue via staples 54 (FIG. 3B) as described above with respect to the surgical buttress 60.

It should be understood that while the surgical stapling apparatus is shown including surgical buttresses disposed on both the anvil and the staple cartridge assemblies, the surgical stapling apparatus may include only one surgical buttress disposed on either the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly. It should be further understood that any of the surgical buttresses of the present disclosure may be disposed on the anvil and/or staple cartridge assemblies depending on, for example, the surgical application and/or desired placement of the buttress material relative to tissue as should be understood by those skilled in the art.

The surgical buttress(es) of the present disclosure may be pre-loaded (e.g., by the manufacturer) onto the anvil assembly and/or the staple cartridge assembly. Additional or replacement surgical buttresses may be secured to the respective anvil and/or staple cartridge assemblies as needed or desired.

It is envisioned that the surgical buttress may be, additionally or alternatively, positioned on the anvil shaft of the anvil assembly following the connection of the anvil assembly to the respective tissue section such that the surgical buttress is stapled between the tissue sections following actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus.

With reference now to FIGS. 6 and 7, a surgical buttress 80 is releasably attached to the anvil assembly 40 by positioning the anvil shaft 46 through a central aperture 81 of the surgical buttress 80 such that the surgical buttress 80 engages the anvil shaft 46 (e.g., frictional engagement) and a body 82 of the surgical buttress 80 is disposed in axially spaced relation relative to the tissue facing surfaces 44, 52 of the anvil and/or staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50. At the point of a surgical procedure shown in FIG. 6, after a diseased tissue section has been removed and the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50 have been positioned within the respective tissue sections 1, 2 and temporarily secured thereabout with purse string sutures “P”, the surgical buttress 80 is placed on the anvil shaft 46 of the anvil assembly 40 and then the anvil shaft 46 is connected to the elongated tubular body 30. Thereafter, the anvil assembly 40 is approximated towards the elongated tubular body 30 to capture the surgical buttress 80 between the tissue sections 1, 2, and the surgical stapling apparatus 10 is fired, as discussed above, thereby stapling the tissue sections 1, 2 and surgical buttress 80 to each another and cutting the portions of the tissue and the surgical buttress 80 disposed radially inward of the knife 58 to complete the anastomosis.

The surgical buttress 80 includes a body portion 82 including an outer edge 82 a and an inner edge 82 b, the inner edge 82 b defining a central aperture 81 of the surgical buttress 80. The diameter of the central aperture 81 is about the same as or smaller than the diameter of the anvil shaft 46. The outer edge 82 a of the body 82 is radially aligned or coincident with the outer perimeter 44 a, 52 a of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50, and the inner edge 72 a is engagable with the anvil shaft 46, as discussed above, such that the inner edge 72 b is disposed radially inwardly of the knife 58.

A therapeutic coating 88 is disposed on a first concentric region 84 a of the surgical buttress 80 that is defined between a knife cut line 86 a of the surgical buttress 80 and a first or inner staple line 86 b of the surgical buttress 80. It should be understood that the therapeutic coating 88 may extend partially or completely through the first concentric region 84 a and, in some embodiments, may extend completely or partially into a second concentric region 84 b of the surgical buttress 80 that is defined between the first staple line 86 b and a second or middle staple line 86 c of the surgical buttress 70. Moreover, while the therapeutic coating 88 is shown disposed on first and second sides 80 a, 80 b of the surgical buttress 80, it should be understood that the therapeutic coating 88 may disposed on only one of the first or second sides 80 a, 80 b.

Although the surgical stapling apparatus discussed above has a manually operated, manually driven handle, any of the embodiments disclosed herein can include a surgical stapling apparatus having a hand-held powered handle having a motor, or a stapling unit that is attachable to a motorized drive, or a stapling unit arranged for use in a robotic surgical system. The surgical buttresses described herein may also be configured for use with other surgical apparatus, such as electromechanical surgical devices as described, for example, in U.S. Patent Appl. Pub. Nos. 2015/0157320 and 2015/0157321, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Persons skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying figures are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, and that the description, disclosure, and figures should be construed merely exemplary of particular embodiments. It is to be understood, therefore, that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise embodiments described, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. Additionally, it is envisioned that the elements and features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the elements and features of another exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and that such modifications and variations are also intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present disclosure is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A surgical stapling apparatus comprising: a staple cartridge assembly including a tissue facing surface having staple retaining slots defined therein, each staple retaining slot housing a staple therein, and a circular knife disposed radially inwardly of the tissue facing surface; an anvil assembly operatively associated with the staple cartridge assembly, the anvil assembly including an anvil member including a tissue facing surface and an anvil shaft extending from the anvil member; and a surgical buttress releasably coupled to the staple cartridge assembly or the anvil assembly, the surgical buttress having a circular configuration defining a central aperture therethrough, the surgical buttress including an inner concentric portion having a therapeutic coating disposed thereon and an outer concentric portion free of the therapeutic coating, the inner concentric portion including a first concentric region extending radially inwardly of an inner staple line of the surgical buttress and a second concentric region extending radially outwardly of the inner staple line to a middle staple line of the surgical buttress, and the therapeutic coating is disposed only within the first concentric region of the surgical buttress.
 2. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first concentric region is defined between the inner staple line and a knife cut line of the surgical buttress.
 3. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first concentric region is defined between the inner staple line and an inner edge of the surgical buttress.
 4. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the inner edge of the surgical buttress is disposed radially inwardly of the circular knife of the staple cartridge assembly.
 5. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the therapeutic coating includes a chemotherapy drug or an immunotherapy drug.
 6. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surgical buttress is disposed on the tissue facing surface of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly.
 7. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surgical buttress is disposed on the anvil shaft of the anvil assembly in spaced relation relative to the tissue facing surfaces of the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies.
 8. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the therapeutic coating is disposed on first and second sides of the surgical buttress.
 9. A staple cartridge assembly comprising: a staple cartridge including a tissue facing surface having staple retaining slots defined therein, each staple retaining slot housing a staple therein, and a circular knife disposed radially inwardly of the tissue facing surface; and a surgical buttress releasably disposed on the tissue facing surface of the staple cartridge, the surgical buttress having a circular configuration defining a central aperture therethrough, the surgical buttress including an inner concentric portion having a therapeutic coating disposed thereon and an outer concentric portion free of the therapeutic coating, the inner concentric portion including a first concentric region extending radially inwardly of an inner staple line of the surgical buttress and a second concentric region extending radially outwardly of the inner staple line to a middle staple line of the surgical buttress, and the therapeutic coating is disposed only within the first concentric region of the surgical buttress.
 10. The staple cartridge assembly according to claim 9, wherein the first concentric region is defined between the inner staple line and a knife cut line of the surgical buttress.
 11. The staple cartridge assembly according to claim 9, wherein the first concentric region is defined between the inner staple line and an inner edge of the surgical buttress.
 12. The staple cartridge assembly according to claim 11, wherein the inner edge of the surgical buttress is disposed radially inwardly of the circular knife of the staple cartridge.
 13. The staple cartridge assembly according to claim 9, wherein the therapeutic coating includes a chemotherapy drug or an immunotherapy drug.
 14. The staple cartridge assembly according to claim 9, wherein the therapeutic coating is disposed on first and second sides of the surgical buttress. 